Background and Purpose-To evaluate the relationship between arterial stiffness and cognitive function in a population of elderly subjects reporting memory loss. Methods-We studied the association between cognitive function and arterial stiffness in 308 consecutive elderly subjects attending a geriatric outpatient clinic reporting memory impairment. Subjects were classified into 4 categories according to neuropsychological evaluation: normal cognitive function, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer disease (AD), or vascular dementia (VaD). Arterial stiffness was evaluated by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) measurement using Complior. Results-In this population, 78Ϯ8 years of age (women 64%), AD was present in 41%, VaD in 6%, MCI in 27%, and 26% of subjects had normal cognitive function. After adjustment for age, gender, systolic blood pressure, education level, cardiovascular diseases, and antihypertensive therapy, a significant association was observed between PWV and cognitive status (PϽ0.0001). PWV appears significantly higher in subjects with VaD (15.2Ϯ3.9 m/s) or AD (13.3Ϯ2.9 m/s) than in those without cognitive impairment (11.5Ϯ2.0 m/s; PϽ0.001). Moreover, PWV was higher in subjects with MCI (12.6Ϯ2.6 m/s) than in those without cognitive impairment (11.5Ϯ2.0 m/s; Pϭ0.01). For each 2 m/s increment in PWV, the adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) was 1.

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